Magnetically coupled wall attachment device

Abstract

A magnetically coupled device for an aquarium wall. The device may include an inner member and an outer member. The inner member may include a main body portion and an inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element coupled to or disposed within the main body portion. The outer member may include an outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element and a polymer static cling layer. The outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element may be magnetically attracted to the inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element. The polymer static cling layer may be configured to allow the outer member to be removably attached to an outer surface of the aquarium wall. The inner member may be removably attached to an inner surface of the aquarium wall by magnetic attraction with the outer member. The device may provide, for example, a feeding point for aquatic life contained in the aquarium.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A magnetically coupled attachment device for an aquarium wall, comprising:
 an inner member including
 a main body portion; and 
 an inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element coupled to or disposed within the main body portion; 
 
 an outer member including an outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element and a polymer static cling layer, wherein the outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element is magnetically attracted to the inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element, and wherein the polymer static cling layer is adapted to removably attach the outer member to an outer surface of the aquarium wall, and whereby the inner member is removably attached to an inner surface of the aquarium wall by the outer member. 
 
     
     
       2. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner member is buoyant. 
     
     
       3. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a gripper element coupled to or defined by the main body portion of the inner member and having first and second arms biased toward one another to hold food for aquatic life. 
 
     
     
       4. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 3 , wherein the gripper element comprises a molded clip coupled to the main body portion, and wherein the first and second arms are biased toward one another by a mechanical spring. 
     
     
       5. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 3 , wherein the first arm comprises a first flexible arm having a first magnetic or magnetically attractable element coupled proximate an end of the first arm, wherein the second arm comprises a second flexible arm having a second magnetic or magnetically attractable element coupled proximate an end of the second arm, and wherein the first and second magnetic or magnetically attractable elements are magnetically attracted to one another to hold food for aquatic life between the ends of the first and second arms. 
     
     
       6. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 5 , wherein the main body portion of the inner member defines the first and second arms and is configured to fold in an area between the first and second arms to define a hinged clamp. 
     
     
       7. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 6 , wherein one of the first and second magnetic or magnetically attractable elements is the inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element. 
     
     
       8. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 5 , wherein a second end of each of the first and second arms is connected to the main body. 
     
     
       9. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 5 , wherein a hook layer of a hook-and-loop fastener is adhesively coupled proximate the end of at least one of the first and second arms adjacent to the first or second magnetic or magnetically attractable element. 
     
     
       10. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 5 , wherein the first magnetic or magnetically attractable element is disposed within a through hole defined at the end of the first arm of the inner member, and wherein the second magnetic or magnetically attractable element is disposed within a through hole defined at the end of the second arm of the inner member. 
     
     
       11. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 3 , wherein the first and second arms of the inner member are formed from a buoyant closed-cell foam material. 
     
     
       12. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 11 , wherein the buoyant closed-cell foam material comprises die-cut cross-linked polyethylene foam, an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer, or polychloroprene. 
     
     
       13. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer static cling layer comprises static cling vinyl attached to the outer member and configured to removably adhere the outer member to the outer surface of the aquarium wall. 
     
     
       14. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein the polymer static cling layer comprises polyurethane dome material attached to the outer member and configured to removably adhere the outer member to the outer surface of the aquarium wall. 
     
     
       15. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein the outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element is disposed within a through hole defined in a main body of the outer member, and wherein the polymer static cling layer is disposed on a surface of the main body and an additional layer is disposed on an opposite surface of the main body, the polymer static cling layer and the additional layer sealing the outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element within the through hole. 
     
     
       16. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein the main body portion of the inner member is formed from a buoyant closed-cell foam material. 
     
     
       17. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 16 , wherein the buoyant closed-cell foam material comprises die-cut cross-linked polyethylene foam, an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer, or polychloroprene. 
     
     
       18. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein a main body of the outer member is formed from a buoyant closed-cell foam material. 
     
     
       19. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 18 , wherein the buoyant closed-cell foam material comprises die-cut cross-linked polyethylene foam, an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer, or polychloroprene. 
     
     
       20. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the inner and outer magnetic or magnetically attractable elements comprises a neodymium magnet. 
     
     
       21. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 1 , wherein the inner member further comprises a buoyant ring configured to receive food for aquatic life, wherein the buoyant ring is coupled to the main body portion by a flexible arm. 
     
     
       22. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 21 , wherein the buoyant ring and the flexible arm comprise a buoyant closed-cell foam material. 
     
     
       23. The magnetically coupled attachment device of  claim 22 , wherein the buoyant closed-cell foam material comprises die-cut cross-linked polyethylene foam, an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymer, or polychloroprene. 
     
     
       24. A magnetically coupled feeding device for an aquarium, comprising:
 a buoyant inner member including
 a main body portion; 
 an inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element coupled to or disposed within the main body portion; and 
 a food retention element coupled to or defined by the main body portion; 
 
 an outer member including an outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element wherein the outer member includes a polymer static cling layer adapted to removably attach the outer member to an outer surface of the aquarium wall, wherein the outer magnetic or magnetically attractable element is magnetically attracted to the inner magnetic or magnetically attractable element, whereby the buoyant inner member is removably attached to an inner surface of a wall of the aquarium by the outer member. 
 
     
     
       25. The feeding device of  claim 24 , wherein the food retention element comprises a hinged clamp having first and second arms biased toward one another to hold food for aquatic life. 
     
     
       26. The feeding device of  claim 24 , wherein the food retention element comprises a floating feeding ring.